Ano Meriá (Elpída) - Serfiótiko - Ano Meriá (Agios Andréas)

 

Evaluation: This is a short hike, back and forth, descending to the pretty little beach of Serfiótiko. It gets an evaluation of **.

Estimated time: It will only cost you 26 minutes to descend to the beach and the return route takes 34 minutes.
The total actual walking time is exactly one hour; with a picnic and a swimming break down at the beach, we hiked for three hours... 

Route description: [The trail leaves from the asphalt road in Ano Meriá, near the bus stop of Elpída and some 3 minutes past the large church with the blue dome of Agios Geórgios.]

(0h00) At the bus shelter "Elpída" you find a small concrete road going down to the right and meandering among a few houses. You keep walking on the concrete, in the direction of the last houses straight ahead in front of you. After 6 minutes there is the beginning of a stony path, on the left of the final house (bearing the name Elpída). This trail descends rapidly and after another 4 minutes you keep to the left.

(0h10) A little further, a fast and rocky descent recommences; slightly later, in a curve, you have a great view on the little bay of Serfiótiko. At this point you should have a look at the path you will follow on the way back: you can see it running on the slope of the slanting hill crest in front of you; very high up you can also distinguish the chapel of Agios Sóstis.
You descend even faster now, describing many short turns and often walking on rocky steps – the beach is approaching quickly. While descending you should also have a look at the little white house higher up: on the way back you will pass that house. Just before the end of the descent, the path curves to the left, towards the bottom of the valley. To get to the beach you have to clamber over a low obstruction and in this way you reach the pebbled beach on the left-hand side of the lowest house.
In the sea you can see the islands of Síkinos and Ios on the right, and Páros, Antíparos and Despotikó in front of you. A few tamarisks are providing some shade and you can have a picnic on a primitive bench: a plank on a couple of stones.
There are also three simple boat garages... (0h26)

(0h26) For the return route from the beach, you walk to the little valley, between the trees and the lowest little house. You climb over the obstruction again and in this way you arrive at the trail. You take a RIGHT now, you curve towards the left after a little over one minute and you thus pass on the left of the highest house. Also this trail is very good and it goes up very quickly. For a short while, the slope gets less steep, but then you climb faster again, still on the crest of the hill.

(0h45) Even after a climb of almost 20 minutes you can still see the beach of Serfiótiko, deep down under you.
You now climb on a rocky slope, but thereafter the trail becomes clearer again, between two walls, and Serfiótiko disappears. After a stretch that is less steep you take on the final climb to the houses of Ano Meriá, which you notice in front of you. You are now almost at the same height as the chapel of Agios Sóstis on your right-hand side.
The path is now really wide and after a marvellous and really smooth climb of some 34 minutes all together, you arrive above. Past the first houses and the stables, you walk on concrete for the last couple of minutes. You get to the asphalt road, some 50 metres from the chapel of Agios Andréas, on your right, and the tavern of Kyría María a little further on (where you see the beginning of the trail to the beach of Agios Geórgios). (1h00)

[Also on the right and a few minutes further, there is the tavern of Iliovasílema (= Sunset), where you find the terminus of the bus Chóra - Ano Meriá. In October 2008, the final bus back was at 6pm.
If you would like to return to Chóra on foot, you first have to follow the asphalt road to the left for some 13 minutes, past the large church of Agios Geórgios and a couple of shops and cafés. At the two ruins of wind mills and the little church of Stavrós, you find the beginning of the shortest return route to Chóra on the right, see the hike Ano Meriá (Stavrós) - Agios Geórgios - Chóra.
The actual walking time of this hike is about 1h50; if you would follow the asphalt road to go back to Chóra it would still take you 1h10, when walking steadily.]